Warp-knitting machine and warp knitting made thereby



Jan. 2, 1968 H. P. LANDGRAF 3,360,954

WARPKNITTING MACHINE AND WARP KNITTING MADE THEREBY Filed Jan. 6, 1965 II 5 Sheets-Sheet l I M M /2/ lNVENTOR 6 060 P mama/w Jan. 2, 1968 H. P.LANDGRAF WARP-KNITTING MACHINE AND WARP KNITTING MADE THEREBY 5Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan.

M m mw m E 0 mm m H Jan. 2, 1968 H. P. LANDGRAF 3,360,964

' WARPKNITTING MACHINE AND WARP KNITTING MADE THEREBY Filed Jan. 6, 19655 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR //[/60 P40! MAIDGRAF Jan. 2, 1968 H. P. LANDGRAF3,360,964

WARP-KNITTING MACHINE AND WARP KNITTING MADE THEREBY 5 Sheets-Sheet 4Filed Jan. 6, 1965 INVENTOR #060 19401 Z/WDGRAF yaw Jan. 2, 1968 H. P.LANDGRAF 3,350,954

WARPKNITTING MACHINE AND WARP KNITTING MADE THEREBY 5 Sheets-Sheet 5Filed Jan. 6, 1965 INVENTOR H060 P/IZ Z Ail/VDGfi/IF United StatesPatent 3,360,964 WARP-KNITTIVG MACHINE AND WARP KNITTING MADE THEREBYHugo Paul Landgraf, Limbach-Oberfrohna, Germany, as-

signor to Veb Werkmaschinenbau Limbach-Oberfrohna, Limbach-Oberfrohna,Germany Filed Jan. 6, 1965, Ser. No. 423,687 12 Claims. (Cl. 66-88) Thepresent invention relates to a warp-knitting machine and to a warpknitting produced by said machine. In particular, the warp-knittingmachine is equipped with two rows of eye needles by means of which awarp kitting is formed by mutual loop transfer, with courses extendingparallel to the longitudinal axis thereof. The front portions of all theeye needles are bent obliquely toward one side.

A known machine for the production of such warp knits is equipped withpointed eye needles which are straight. In order to interconnect on thismachine the vertical courses, formed by the eye needles, into acontinuous knit, one of the two rows of eye needles is set off withrespect to the other row by one needle division or gauge after each looptransfer. The resulting warp knit has generally crossed stitches, thatis, it is a twist warp knit, namely in left-left (purl-purl) fashion.

Another machine of the kind here entering into consideration has eyeneedles which are obliquely bent off to the side in front, by about onehalf needle division. The bend is located between the shank and thefront end of these eye needles, the front end being parallel to theshank and presenting a hole. The eye needles are .thus somewhatZ-shaped. The arrangement is such that the eye needles of one row areall bent to one side, e.g. to the left, while the needles of the otherrow are bent to the other side, namely to the right.

For the production of a continuous knit also on this machine oneeye-needle row must be staggered or set off after each loop transfer inrelation to the other row, namely by one needle division, so that theresult is a left-left twist warp knit.

This known machine also provides to bring about the staggering by mutualdisplacement of both needle rows by one half division each, the two rowsbeing staggered in the same direction in several stitch-formingprocesses stepwise to one side and then back again by the same distance.In this way likewise a left-left twist warp knit is formed, but withatlas character.

Further, one eye-needle row in this machine may be stationary inlongitudinal direction and only the other row is progressively staggeredor displaced (in one and the same direction) by one half needle divisioneach, in order then to return again. The result is a left-left warp knitwith atlas character, but in'Which one course with open stitchesalternates with one whose stitches are crossed.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a warp-knittingmachine on which warp knits with exclusively open stitches can beproduced, and a knitted fabric made thereby.

It is also the object of the invention to provide a novel knittingmachine wherein specially arranged eye needles are used for producing anew type of knitted product.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a warp knittingwherein the courses extend parallel to the longitudinal axis of theproduct, the courses being formed by mutual loop transfer. The knittingcorresponds, with respect to the stitch pattern, to simple hoisery goodsand is therefore desirable for various purposes. Moreover, such aproduct has the advantage of better stretchability in the direction ofthe stitch courses as compared with twist knits.

According to one of the important features of the warp-knitting machineof this invention, the front portions of the eye needles are obliquelybent to the same side in both needle rows, forming obtuse angles withthe respective needle shafts.

Another feature relates to the fact that said eye needles haveprotrusions on their sides toward which the front portions are bent, andthat the two eye-needle rows are so arranged in relation to each otherthat the free needle ends or points in one row are approximatelyopposite the summit or outermost points of the needles in the other row.

It is yet another feature of the inventive machine that the eye needlesused therein have an inclination in their front portions which, ascompared to the summit of the protrusions, corresponds to approximatelyone-half needle division or gauge.

As far as the fabric is concerned which is made by the warp-knittingmentioned above, it is an important feature of one of the possiblefabrics that a smooth left-left warp knit is produced where all stitchesof all courses are open.

According to another feature, a diifereut fabric may be made which is awarp knit, left-left crossed, where in the courses as well as in thewales a stitch formed by one wanp yarn alternates witha stitchconsisting of the other warp yarn, all stitches of all courses beingagain open.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be appreciated andmore fully understood with reference to the following detaileddescription, when considered with the accompanying drawings, whereinFIG. 1 is a somewhat schematic, perspective illustration of the majoroperating elements in the warp-knitting machine according to theinvention, someco-operating elements being omitted for the sake ofclarity;

FIG. 2is a planar arrangement of a number of eye needles ofboth needlerows, seen from above, with the operating elements of FIG. 1 omitted forthe sake of clarity;

FIGS. 3a through 32 are illustrations of the production of a left-leftwarp knit having open stitches exclusively, in five successive stages;

FIGS. 4a through 4d show the provision of the warp knit made accordingto FIGS. 3a-3e with a solid longitudinal edge or selvedge at both endcourses, in four stages; and

FIGS. 5a through 5] are illustrations of the production of a left-leftcrossed warp knit, in six stages.

It should be noted that FIG. 32 includes the partial illustration of onefabric embodiment while FIG; 4d is a variant thereof; finally, FIG. 5shows a different. fabric made by the warp-knitting machine according tothe invention. I

The warp-knitting machine illustrated in FIG. 1 is equipped with twoopposite rows 1, 101 of eye needles 1a, 101a, for example, secured torespective needle bars 21, 121 in a conventional way, andarrangedapproximately at right angles to each other (see also FIGS. 3a-3e,etc.). Each of the needles has the following parts, as illustrated inFIG. 2: a shaft portion 11, followed by a protruding portion 12, an'eye13 for a warp yarn, the outermost or summit point of the needle beingdenoted 14, a front-end portion 15 and a needle tip or point 16. Theshafts 11 and the front ends 15 form an obtuse angle.

The needles of both rows extend obliquely to opposite sides with respectto the needle bars. The direction of inclination amounts to about oneneedle division or gauge between the needle bases and the outermostpoints 14, as shown in FIG. 2 by letter D. The deflection of the frontportions 15 with respect to the points 14 amounts to about one-halfneedle gauge, marked D/2.

It should be noted that the slant of the needle shaft 11 between thesummit point 14 and the needle base avoids that the eye needlesinterfere with one another during their operation, and especially thatthe needles shear off the warp yarns during loop transfer.

The needles of both rows are bent to the same side, i.e., the summitpoints 14 of all needles 1a, 1b, 10, or 101a, 101b, 1111c, etc., pointto the same side (that is, downwards when viewed in FIG. 2), just as thetips 16 of all needles point to the other side (upward in FIG. 2). Thetwo eye-needle rows 1, 1 are so arranged in relation to each other thatthe tips 16 in one row are located approximately opposite the summitpoints 14- in the other row. The protrusions 12 are on the sides towhich the needle tips point. The cooperation of these needle pairs willbe described in full detail somewhat later in the specification.

Each needle bar 21, 121 has respective rods or bolts 23, 123 securedthereto for moving the needle rows 1, 101 up and down, perpendicularlyto the longitudinal axis of these rows, so as to perform a mutualtransfer of loops between respective needle pairs, as will be explainedlater. For the sake of clarity, only one bolt is shown for each needlebar. The bolts 23, 123 are axially guided in a machine frame portion,the frame being generally designated 72 in FIG. 1 of the drawing. By wayof guide rods 25, 125 the bolts 23, 123 are connected to three-armedlevers 27, 127 which, in turn, are supported by the machine frame '72,as shown at 29, 129, respectively. These levers 27, 127 are actuated bycam disks 31, 131.

The cam disks 31, 131 thus impart to the needle bars 21, 121 and theneedles attached thereto an ascending and descending motion. The shaftscarrying the cam disks 31, 131 are coordinated in their rotation so asto provide the needle movements required for the particular knittingoperation to which the machine is set up.

For the sake of clarity, weft guides and supporting rails therefore havenot been shown in FIG. 1. Also, the mechanism (e.g. cam-operated rollerslide) for imparting a reciprocating movement to the guide rails hasbeen omitted.

A machineis described and claimed therein which has features common withthe present application, but includes eye needles which are bent, intheir entirety, toward one side in one row and .toward the other side inthe other row (rather than having front portions which are bentobliquely to one side, as in the present disclosure).

Both machines, that of the present and that of the copendingapplication, also .feature operational elements specific to andco-operating with the particular type of needles for producing therespective fabrics made by the machines.

Reverting now to the machine illustrated in FIG. 1, it will beseen thatneedle row 101 isnot attached directly to bar 121 but is arranged on anauxiliary bar 119'which is guided in bar 121.for longitudinaldisplacement. The actuating mechanism comprises a control shaft,coordinated with the aforermentioned shafts of the cam disks 31, 131,which carries :a cam disk 156serving to impart a reciprocating movementto the auxiliary bar 119. The cam disk 156 is associated with a rollerlever 158 pivotally journaled in a portion of machine frame 72. Lever158 is connected with bar 119 by way of an angle lever 160 which iscoupled to the auxiliary bar 119 by means of rod 162.

.An auxiliary eye needle or yarn guide 9 is likewise shown in FIG. 1.This needle is movable both in longitudinal direction of the eye-needlerows 1, 101 and also at right angles thereto, as indicated by thearrows. The operation of this needle or guide 9 will be described inmore detail with reference to FIGS. 4a through 4d.

For the execution of the first-named movement another cam disk 63 iscarried by a control shaft. The disk 63 is associated with aroller slide65 guided for axial movement in a portion of the machine frame 72. Ashaft 54, to be described somewhat later, carries a support for theauxiliary needle 9, the support being connected with the slide 65 by wayof a coupling rod 67. A tension spring serves to hold the support 85 andthe outer end of slide 65 against the cam disk 63.

The connection between the shaft 54 and the support 85 is byconventional means, schematically shown at 84, which may consist of akey and a groove, for axial displacement of support 85 with respect toshaft 54 while pivoting therewith.

The shaft 54 has the purpose of performing the second named movement ofneedle or guide 9, namely its lateral pivoting. For this purpose, theshaft 39 which carries the cam disk 31 has a crank 41) rigidly connectedtherewith. A crank pin 42 on the crank 40 has a coupling rod 44connected thereto which is articulated on a first arm 45a of abell-crank lever; its journal 48 is stationary (e.g., by being rigidwith the frame 72 while a second arm is identified by 46b.

The bell-crank arm 46]) is connected, by way of a coupling rod 50, witha lever 52 Which is fixedly connected to the afore-mentioned shaft 54.

Each needle row 1, 101 carries a yarn chain (not shown in FIG. 1). Eachpair of oppositely arranged needles (e.g. 1a, 101a) cooperates inproducing various warp knits, as will be explained and shown withreference to the successive operation stages shown in FIGS. 3a-3b,411-41) and Sa-Sf, to be described hereafter in detail.

With the machine according to the invention it is possible to producewarp knits in various stitch constructions, whose courses extendparallel to the longitudinal direction of the fabric in the usualmanner, but whose stitches are all open. This will be explained somewhatlater with reference to two specific examples of products that can beproduced with the machine.

In one case, the machine can be used so that both eyeneedle rows arestationary in longitudinal direction during the production of the knit,so that each eye needle of one row, which during the precedingstitch-forming step has transferred its loop to an eye needle of theother row, takes up during the next step the loop of the adjacent needleof the afore-mentioned other row.

Another possibility of use of the warp-knittin machine according to theinvention is that one of the two eye-needle rows, after it has taken upthe loops of the other row, can be shifted and moved back by one needledivision or gauge to the side to which the needle summits point, beforeit is again made operative for the take-up of the loops of the otherneedle row. Thus each eye needle of one row, which has taken up a loopof the needle of the other row, offers its loop to the second nextneedle of this other row, and this latter needle in turn presents itsloop to the second next needle of the first-named row.

Example 1 For the purpose of producing a Warp knitting generally denoted210 (see FIG. 3c), the two eye-needle rows 1, 101 are held fixed intheir longitudinal direction during the production of the knit, namelyin the mutual arrangement shown in FIG. 2. According to FIG. 3a, theneedles in row 101-are close to their raised position. These needlescarry loops 193 consisting of Warp yarns shown in broken lines, whichare offered to the needles in row 1 for uptake.

The needles of row 1 now move upward so that their tips 16 are insertedinto the loops 193 of row 101 in the zone of the protrusions 12.Together with FIG. 2 it can be visualized that, for example, the needle1a enters into a loop 193 which is carried by the needle 101a of theopposite row.

According to FIG. 3b, needle row 1 is in its raised 75 position;therefore the loops 193 are now traversed by the needles of row 101a andinto them is inserted a loop 93 of the needle row 1, consisting of warpyarn 90. Now the needles of row 101 withdraw, while the needles of row 1remain in the position of FIG. 3b. Owing to this expedientthe loops 193of row 101a get to hang on the needles of row 1, as shown in FIG. 30.

As per FIG. 3d, the needles for row 101a are in their lowered position.These needles are thereafter brought back to the raised position for thenext stitch-forming stage in order to take up the loops 93 of row 1. Nowthe needles of row I withdraw a little so as to have their protrusions12 opposite the tips 16 of the corresponding needles of row 101a.

It is visible from FIG. 3e how the needles of row 101, brought into theraised position, now pass through the loops 93 of the needles in row 1.Now the needles in row 101a each draw a new loop 193a into the loop 193.Thereafter row 1 is pulled back to the lowered position so that theloops 93 now hang on the needles of row 101, as did in the precedingcycle or step the loops 193 on the needles of row 1.

It should be noted here that the eye needle 1010 does not take up theloop 93 of needle 1a but that of the adjacent needle 1b, as is clearfrom the planar arrangement appearing in FIG. 2. In FIG. Be, the eyeneedle 1a is omitted for greater clarity.

Owing to the particular configuration of the eye needles, courses 196(shown in broken lines) and courses 96 (shown in solid lines), FIG. 3e,are mutually interconnected in a continuous smooth left-left warp knit210 without requiring the shifting or staggering of one or the other ofthe eye-needle rows 1 or 101. Moreover, all stitches of all courses 96,196 are open. The afore-mentioned courses are directed in the finishedproduct parallel to the longitudinal direction of the knit, that is,vertically; the wales are consequently disposed at right angles thereto,that is, horizontally.

It is preferable to assign the auxiliary eye needle or yarn guide 9 tothe three eye needles 1 101 and 101e participating in the formation ofthe end courses, as illustrated in FIG. 1 and also in FIGS. 4a through4d. The auxiliary eye needle 9 carries a special yarn 92 which serves tomake two end courses 97, 197 into a firm longitudinal edge or selvedge.The needle 9 covers the needle 101 when the needles have a positioncorresponding to FIG. 30:.

As FIG. 4a shows, the special yarn 92 is placed over the shank of theneedle 101 and then under the free end thereof. When needle 1] thenpasses through loop 193 of needle 101]", needle 1f engages over the yarn92 so that the latter at the same time grips loop 93 of needle 17 frombehind, as FIG. 4b shows.

When the needles of row 101 are pulled back for the transfer of theirloops 193 to the needles in row 1, the yarn 92 lies above the respectiveloop 193 and behind loop 93 of needle 1 (FIG. 4c). Thereafter, the loops93 in the needle row 1 must be taken up by needle row 101. The auxiliaryneedle 9 now lays its special yarn 92 over and then under the needle101e, when the latter has passed through loop 93 (FIGS. 3a and 4d). Inthe finished knit, identified as 210a, the yarn 92 traverses the sinkerstitches of the courses 97, 197 so that they are locked. In FIG. 4a, theeye needle 101 is omitted for greater clarity.

Example 2 As has been explained with reference to FIG. 1, one of theeye-needle rows, namely row 101, is laterally displaceable by one needledivision or gauge. The movement is toward the side in which the summits14 point (that is, downward in FIG. 2), and back again, to produce awarp knit left-left crossed. The product resulting thereby is generallyidentified in FIG. as 220.

According to FIG. 5a, on the shanks of the needles in row 101 there hangthe loops 93 which come from the needles in row 1. Row 101 now offersits loops 193 to row 1, and for this purpose the former has first beenmoved by one needle gauge in the afore-mentioned direction. Comparedwith FIG. 2, therefore, eye needle 1010, for example, has taken overloop 93 of needle 10 and, in view of the lateral shift of needle row101, it now cooperates with needle lb.

According to FIG. 5b, needle 1b passes through loop 193 of needle 1010and in so doing pulls a new loop 93 into loop 193 of needle 101a. AsFIG. 50 shows, row 101 is now returned to its original position (the oneshown in FIG. 2), so that loop 193 of needle 101c hangs on needle 1b.Thereafter, row 101 is displaced again by one needle division or gauge(in downward direction, as viewed in FIG. 2). Thus, needle 101a againcooperates with needle 1b, and needle 1010 with needle 10 (FIG. 5d).

According to FIG. 5e, needle 101a enters loop 93 of needle 1b and in sodoing again pulls a new loop 193 into the same. Thereafter'row 1 goesback :so that loop 93 of needle 112 now hangs on needle 101a (FIG. 5 Forthe following stitch-forming step the row 101 must be displaced again,as described. In the left-left warp knit 220 thus produced, a stitch 193formed by warp yarn alternates, in the courses as well as in the wales,with a stitch 93 which consists of the other warp yarn 90. In addition,it should be noted, all stitches are again open.

It may also be mentioned that the machine is also capable of working sothat one of the two eye-needle rows, after it has taken up the loops ofthe other row, shifts and then moves back again by one needle divisionto that side to which the needle tips point (instead of the side havingthe summits), before it is again made operative for the take-over ortransfer of loops of this other row. The result will be that each needlein one row which has taken up a loop of the needle in the other rowagain offers its loop to the same needle in said other row.

The result of this further operation, not described in detail, is aweft-chain knitting which consists, on the one hand, of fringes formedby pairs of double courses presenting upon stitches and, on the other,of weft yarns which interconnect the fringes, each weft yarn surroundingor embracing with its reversing points two needle stitches of the outercourse of two double courses each; in addition, the weft yarns traversethe sinker stitches thereof.

The foregoing disclosure relates only to preferred embodiments of theinvention, which is intended to include all changes and modifications ofthe examples described within the scope of the invention as set forth inthe appended claims.

What I claim is:

1 A Warp-knitting machine comprising, in combination, two rows ofreciprocable eye needles adapted for mutual loop transfer, a needle barfor each row of said eye needles, means for independently reciprocatingeach needle bar substantially at right angles with respect to oneanother, wherein each needle has a shaft portion and a front portionobliquely bent to the same side in both eye-needle rows, there being anoutermost summit point on each needle between said shaft and said frontportions, the ends of the front portions in one eye-needle row beingapproximately opposite said summit points of the needles in the othereye-needle row, and means for guiding respective warp and weft yarns tosaid eye-needle rows.

2. A warp-knitting machine according to claim 1, wherein said frontportions of the eye needles are pointed.

3. A warp-knitting machine according to claim 1, wherein the eyes ofsaid needles are in close proximity to said summit points.

4. A warp-knitting machine according to claim 1, wherein each needle hasa protrusion between said shaft and said front portions, saidprotrusions being toward that side of said eye needles toward which saidbent front portions are directed, the ends of the front portions in oneeye-needle row being approximately juxtaposed to said protrusions in theother eye-needle row.

5. A warp-knitting machine according to claim 1, wherein said shaftportions are obliquely bent off with respect to said needle bar of therespective row in a direction opposite to that in which said frontportions are bent.

6. A Warp-knitting machine according to claim 1, further comprisingmeans for keeping said eye-needle rows stationary in longitudinaldirection while reciprocated, whereby each needle of one row transfers ayarn loop formed thereon to a first needle of the opposite row whiletaking up a similar yarn loop in the next operational stage from asecond needle of the opposite row adjacent said first needle.

7. A warp-knitting machine according to claim 1, further comprisingmeans for longitudinally displacing at least one of said eye-needle rowsbetween successive operational stages, whereby different adjacentneedles of one row are made to cooperate with the same needle of theother row.

8. A warp-knitting machine according to claim 7, wherein said displacingmeans is operative to move said at least one row in the direction towardwhich said summit points are directed.

9. A Warp-knitting machine according to claim 7, wherein said displacingmeans is operative to move said at least one row in the direction towardwhich said front portions are bent.

10. A warp-knitting machine according to claim 7,

wherein said displacing means'is operative to move said at least one rowsubstantially by one full needle division.

11. A warp-knitting machine according to claim 1, further comprising atleast one auxiliary yarn guideand means for guiding a special yarn to atleast some of said eye needle in both rows.

12. A warp-knitting machine according to claim 11, wherein said specialyarn is led by said auxiliary yarn guide to at least one terminal eyeneedle in each row, said terminal needles forming outermost stitcheswhich constitute a selvedge.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,286,349 12/1918 Kopp 66-873,069,885 12/1962 Cooper et al. 66195 3,071,951 1/1963 Kurz 66--1953,099,921 8/1963 Liebrandt 66---86 3,143,868 8/1964 Palange 6613,148,519 9/1964 Kulczycki 66--86 FOREIGN PATENTS 44,426 7/ 1931Denmark. 651,926 10/1937 Germany. 526,661 9/1940 Great Britain.

MERVIN STEIN, Primary Examiner.

R. FELDBAUM, P. C. PAW, Assistant Examiners.

1. A WARP-KNITTING MACHINE COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, TWO ROWS OFRECIPROCABLE EYE NEEDLES ADAPTED FOR MUTUAL LOOP TRANSFER, A NEEDLE BARFOR EACH ROW OF SAID EYE NEEDLES, MEANS FOR INDEPENDENTLY RECIPROCATINGEACH NEEDLE BAR SUBSTANTIALLY AT RIGHT ANGLES WITH RESPECT TO ONEANOTHER, WHEREIN EACH NEEDLE HAS A SHAFT PORTION AND A FRONT PORTIONOBLIQUELY BENT TO THE SAME SIDE IN BOTH EYE-NEEDLE ROWS, THERE BEING ANOUTERMOST SUMMIT POINT ON EACH NEEDLE BETWEEN SAID SHAFT AND SAID FRONTPORTIONS, THE ENDS OF THE FRONT PORTIONS IN ONE EYE-NEEDLE ROW BEINGAPPROXIMATELY OPPOSITE SAID SUMMIT POINTS OF THE NEEDLES IN THE OTHEREYE-NEEDLE ROW, AND MEANS FOR GUIDING RESPECTIVE WARP AND WEFT YARNS TOSAID EYE-NEEDLE ROWS.